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James Sullivan
Real Name: James Vincent Sullivan Aliases: ''' None known '''Wanted For: Murder Missing Since: '''May 1998 Case '''Details: Millionaire James Sullivan met Atlanta socialite Lita McClinton in 1975 while she was working in an Atlanta mall. A few years later they were married, after he divorced his first wife. He lost considerable money and property from the divorce. Her family feared that he married her only because of the high power that they had. They later moved into a home in Palm Beach, Florida. During the early 1980s, they had several serious arguments. Her parents believed that he was trying to control every aspect of her life. In 1985, she filed for divorce and left him, moving to a townhouse in Buckhead. They were in the middle of nasty divorce proceedings when a deliveryman arrived at Lita's door on the morning of January 16, 1987. He, carrying a dozen roses, asked if she was Lita when she answered the door. When she responded "yes", he shot her once in the head. She was killed instantly. Several witnesses saw him fleeing the scene of the crime, but could not identify him. Although James was at their home in Palm Beach, authorities believed that it may have been a contract hit. Forty minutes after Lita's murder, James received a collect phone call from outside of Atlanta. The distance between Lita's home and the phone booth was exactly forty minutes. Telephone records showed that three men checked into a Georgia motel using false identification and made calls to James' home. A flower vendor remembered a nervous man buying the flowers that were found at Lita's home. Authorities learned from associates that James did not want to lose his fortune with another divorce. He also said that he wouldn't be surprised if Lita suffered a "tragic accident". Also, she was killed on the same day that she was scheduled to testify in court for the divorce case. Although the gunman was never identified and the murder weapon was never found, a few months after Lita's murder, James was arrested and charged with it. However, the case was dismissed due to lack of evidence. Eight months later, he married Suki Rogers. However, three years later, they divorced. In 1991, she told police that he had admitted to her that he had hired someone to kill Lita. In 1992, James was arrested and charged in federal court with arranging Lita's murder. However, the case was again dismissed. Her family were not going to give up; her father, Emory, a former US Department of Transportation, and mother, Joann, a Georgia state representative, were among Atlanta's most prominent African American families, and were able to keep the case alive. They also filed a $4 million civil suit against him and won. In February 1998, a North Carolina man named Phillip Harwood was arrested on unrelated charges. He had previously worked for James, moving furniture for him. His girlfriend told police that he had implicated himself in Lita's murder. She also said that shortly after, they had met with James and he paid Phillip for committing it. When questioned, Phillip confessed to it and claimed that James hired him. He also admitted that he was the man that had picked up the flowers and had made the phone call to James' home that morning. Finally, in May 1998, James was charged with felony murder and a warrant was issued for his arrest. Arrangements were made by his attorney for him to surrender to authorities, but that never happened. Authorities believe that he fled the country shortly after the arrest warrant was made. They suspect that he may be in Ireland, where he has a dual citizenship. Extra Notes: This case first aired the July 10, 2001 episode. It was also profiled on America’s Most Wanted during Sullivan's flight from justice and was documented on Dateline, Dominick Dunne's Power, Privilege, and Justice, and FBI: Criminal Pursuit after the case was resolved. Results: ''' Captured. The FBI received tips that James was in Cha-am, Thailand and had been living in a condominium with his Thai girlfriend since he vanished in 1998. On July 2, 2002, he was arrested at their home and was extradited to Georgia. He was convicted of the murder in 2006 and was sentenced to life in prison without parole. The triggerman, Phillip Harwood, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to twenty years in prison. He was released in 2018. '''Links: * James Sullivan Update on Unsolved Archive * The Rise and Fall of James Vincent Sullivan * Parents sue in ’87 death of daughter * Case of slain socialite has twists right out of the movies * Millionaire on trial in murder-for-hire case * Palm Beach millionaire on trial in murder-for-hire conspiracy * Ex-wife: Sullivan Told Her He Killed His Second Wife * Millionaire Indicted in '87 Murder of Wife * Millionaire wanted for 1987 slaying * Millionaire charged with arranging wife's 1987 slaying * Thai police arrest man wanted by the FBI * Wanted American arrested in Thailand * Wanted U.S. Man is Arrested in Thailand * Thai court orders American extradited * Palm Beach Millionaire Faces Extradition in Murder Case * Millionaire sentenced to life for wife's murder * A verdict for a 19-year-old murder case * Millionaire James Sullivan Spared Death Penalty in Wife's Murder * Hit man who killed Buckhead socialite in 1980s released from prison ---- Category:Georgia Category:1987 Category:1998 Category:Murder Category:AMW Cases Category:Captured